Mumbai's Shifting Identity
Bombay’s identity as a city throughout the past few centuries has been an ever-evolving one. From the colonization of the Portuguese in 16th century to the British in the 17th century and finally claiming independence in the 20th century, the shifting identity of the city has adapted to the more optimal method of governance. Rather than stagnating with one traditional method of governance and philosophy of economic productivity, the city has managed to handle fundamental shifts in the operation of itself. The trends in the shifting focus of economy mirror that of the Western world: the primary use as a trading port evolved into the city’s focus on becoming a manufacturing hub, the manufacturing hub then transitioned towards the more recent trends of prioritizing the service sector of the economy. The fluid nature of the city’s economic and cultural identity has incited many conflicts among the increasingly diversified population. When conglomerates of ideologically varied communities come together, it is common to see conflicts arise between the groups. No such exceptions existed, even today, with Mumbai. Concerning the religious identity of different communities that call Mumbai home, the polarization between these groups has been documented well over the city’s history. The Vacher map of 1855 highlights the beginning of what would be a time of surveillance of specific communities because of high tensions between religious groups, particularly between Muslims and Parsee. Made specifically for police forces, the Map of the Native Town of Bombay focuses on distance between religious communities and the government and military forces around the town that can be used forcefully if needed.